Football365

·4 June 2026

When we first received a press note announcing that Daniel Storey – once part of our team – was setting off on an audacious World Cup road adventure, our initial reaction was simple: disbelief.

After checking in on his sanity (again), curiosity took over. So, we caught up with him for a chat. Here’s our conversation with the man himself – now with the Independent i Paper – about his extraordinary World Cup journey.

SW: I hear you’re setting off on a seven-week, 7,200-mile road trip across the United States to cover the World Cup. You’ll be driving the entire way, with no internal flights, starting from the Washington coast and ending in Maine, attending games in nine host cities before wrapping up at the final. That sounds incredibly ambitious – or maybe just mad. How and why are you doing this?

DS: Honestly, I can’t believe I get to do this. But yes, you’re not the first person to call it crazy, so maybe you’re onto something. The short answer – I love a big project. Projects like this help us tell better stories, and the best ones usually come with a bit of “what on earth?” energy. My hope is that readers will feel like they’re part of the journey, rather than just reading disconnected match reports.

Of course, it’s a huge undertaking. But when life hands you a World Cup that spans an entire continent, why not make a road trip out of it? Even if that’s a terrible pun.

SW: It is a terrible pun. Back in the day, I would’ve edited that out. But seriously, it sounds both amazing and exhausting. Are you worried that with all the driving, you might not get to actually enjoy the football? And if that’s not the worry, what is?

DS: It’s definitely going to involve a lot of driving, but I’m hoping to get into a good rhythm. On average, I’ll be on the road four hours a day – check out of the hotel around 11 after finishing some work, arrive at the next stop by 3, check in, and then focus on the matches, some of them while chatting with fans in bars. Sounds pretty great, right?

And it’s not forever. I’m terrible at relaxing, as you know, but it’s just five very busy weeks before things ease up on the east coast. Plus, come on – it’s the World Cup. If you can’t get excited for that, when can you?

SW: I can feel your excitement, though many people seem underwhelmed by this World Cup – the politics, the scale, the endless group stage. Are you genuinely excited, or just trying to convince yourself?

DS: I think we always say “no one’s excited about this tournament” when it’s still a couple of weeks away. Once club football stops, everyone suddenly gets into it. I’m genuinely excited for the football itself. That said, the Trump–Infantino dynamic makes this a politically charged event, and my coverage will reflect that. I’m not driving 7,200 miles just to write 10 match reports.

SW: What’s your biggest concern about this epic road trip? You brushed past that earlier, but I know you – there must be plenty of worries. What’s keeping you awake at night, besides your usual dread about Nottingham Forest’s relegation? Is it car trouble? Getting stuck in the Midwest? Or something else entirely?

DS: How about I give you five, and you tell me if you want the other fifty later?

1) The car breaking down in the middle of nowhere. 2) The car being stolen or vandalised. 3) Missing parking for accredited matches and having no clue how to reach the stadiums. 4) I can survive one bad hotel when exhausted, but two in a row would be rough. 5) Every past mistake haunting me during those long motel nights on repeat.

SW: I’m sure I’ll hear about the other fifty on WhatsApp in the middle of the night. So, convince me about the football. What’s there to get excited about in what might be the most outlandish tournament ever?

DS: And if I forget to thank you for this therapy session, remind me. The pitch is simple: this is the biggest World Cup in history with more teams than ever. It brings back that childhood feeling of discovering new players on the global stage. It’s also the final chapter of the Messi–Ronaldo era, and we’ll see who steps up next. It’s the first major tournament after the Southgate era – which is fascinating. Honestly, there are around eight countries that could realistically win it. Did I mention there’s a lot of football?

SW: Now it makes sense – unlike the last few tournaments, we won’t have to stay up all night to watch. That’s exciting. So, what will be the key themes of your journey? What angles will you cover that others won’t?

DS: I’ve got about 12 to 14 feature ideas that could fall under the ‘big issue’ category, but they’ll evolve based on the people I meet. Topics might include the extreme heat, public transport mess, FIFA’s dynamic ticket pricing, watching Messi one last time, whether Americans even realise there’s a World Cup happening, Iranian fans at their first US match, security and surveillance, and the question of whether LGBTQ+ inclusion has been quietly sidelined. And more.

I’m not naive enough to think I’ll be the only one writing about these things – it’s the biggest event in world sport, and this edition is the largest ever. Plenty of journalists will be covering it. But by blending the road trip experience into my features, doing regular travelogue-style newsletters, and sharing diary-style reflections, I hope to bring something fresh.

I’ve never claimed to be unique, but I aim to be authentic. I genuinely love this sport, and I want readers to feel that and to come along on the journey with me.